UTV Toons, UTV's animation division, will undertake an aggressive expansion spree which will see its facility in Mumbai house 200 animation technicians, in the next three months.

The expansion comes close on the heels of UTV's Rs 45 crore (Rs 450 million) outsourcing pact with US-based BKN Media. For the execution of the above deal, UTV Toons has deployed multiple licenses of Autodesk 3DS max 8 software.

The software will enable UTV Toons to increase its overall productivity by 20 -30 per cent, which will be of immense benefit as the company plans to implement 80 per cent of all future projects in 3DS Max 8.

Each 3DS max 8 license costs Rs 160,000, which includes a years annual subscription. "Previously, the animation software used was a mix of Maya and Autodesk's 3DS Max 8 in the ratio of about 60:40 respectively. But we have decided to migrate 80 per cent of our future projects to the 3DS Max 8 platform as in addition to offering 30 - 40 per cent improvement in rendering time, it also comes equipped with enhanced features such as advanced character development, modelling, texturing and scripting tools," said Jyotirmoy Saha, vice-president, UTV Toons.

"Having been in association with UTV since 2002, we have seen their business grow over the years rise to a leadership position. We foresee a long and fruitful relationship with UTV and look forward to partnering with them in their long-term growth plans," expressed Raman Madan, regional sales manager, Autodesk Media and Entertainment.

Autodesk, earlier this month signed a definitive agreement to acquire Alias, a privately held developer of 3D graphics technology, for Rs 819 crore (Rs 8.19 billion) in cash.

The acquisition was made to grow Autodesk's expertise and offerings for the design of consumer products and automotive as well as in the media and entertainment markets.

Autodesk anticipates to close this transaction in the next four to six months. Alias' product lines comprise sketching, animation, visual effects, design, modelling, rendering and reviewing solutions.